The airline flies to Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, where it offers daily direct flights to San Francisco International and Los Angeles International Airport.

But Virgin America has said in recent months it wants to expand significantly its operations in Dallas by shifting operations to Love Field, which is closer to downtown Dallas. If the carrier takes control of two gates at Love Field, Virgin America has said it will operate daily nonstop flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Virgin America said last month it covets the Love Field slots because “the airport’s centralized location makes it a more convenient choice for Dallas-based and Dallas-destined business travelers.”

Virgin America declined comment today on the substance of its press conference Friday.

The battle for control for two gates at Dallas’ Love Field started because of merger-required divestitures. American Airlines Inc., which now rents the Love Field gates, must give them up as part of its merger with US Airways.

Virgin America, Delta Air Lines Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. all leapt at the chance to snag those gates. And each airline has issued public statements about flight plans for the Love Field gates.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which will make the final decision on which airline gets the gates, made it clear that the gates would go to low-cost carriers, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

It remained unclear today whether Virgin America’s press conference will be an update on its Dallas plans or an announcement that it will get control of the gates. Rival airline executives said they could not confirm whether Virgin America had been awarded the Love Field gates.